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Sangheili
"On the blood of our fathers, on the blood of our sons... we swore to uphold the Covenant!" :—Rtas 'Vadumee before the Battle of the Gas Mine. The Sangheili[3] (Latin Macto cognatus[1], meaning "I glorify my kin") are a saurian[4] species of fierce, proud, strong, agile and intelligent warriors and skilled combat tacticians. Sangheili are named after their home planet,Sanghelios. Known to Humans as Elites[5], due to their adeptness and skill in combat, the Sangheili formed the military backbone of the Covenant for almost the entirety of its existence. They had a very strong rivalry with the Brutes, which finally became open hatred during the Great Schism, and the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War. Originally a founding member of the unified conglomerate of races known as the Covenant, they later led the Covenant breakaway faction known as the Covenant Separatists, who sided with the humans against their former allies, due to the fact that the Prophet of Truth and the Prophet of Mercy had ordered the genocide of the entire Sangheili race. This was established after the assassination of the Prophet of Regretat the hands of the "Demon". It was the Sangheili who were ultimately held responsible for the Prophet of Regret's death, and were seen as "unfit" to continue to guard the Prophets. The Prophets sought to achieve this through the use of the other Covenant races, primarily the Brutes. The aftermath of the Great Schism formed the bedrock of the Covenant's ultimate collapse. HistoryEdit Development of Civilization and the CovenantEdit http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/3/3a/AncientSangheili.pngAncient Sangheili on Sanghelios. The Sangheili home world, Sanghelios, had at one point been visited by or had been in contact with the mysterious Forerunners. They revered the objects these "gods" had left, and considered tampering with them a heresy beyond any other. In 938 B.C.E.they encountered the San 'Shyuum (who would later be known as "Prophets" by Humans), a race that also worshiped the Forerunners as Gods, but had utilized Forerunner for their own needs, believing the technology had been left behind by the Gods as gifts for their children. This sparked a warbetween the two races over how to treat the relics. Even though the Sangheili were much more physically imposing and numerous, they suffered extreme casualties under the sheer power of the Prophets' Dreadnought, a surviving Keyship, and by 876 B.C.E. even the most devout had to admit their survival depended on the reconstitution of their own Forerunner technology. This, of course, led both sides to an agreement that ended with the decommissioning of the Forerunner Dreadnought and a shaky alliance that eventually expanded into the Covenant. The Prophets helped assuage the Sangheili by informing them of the Great Journey: By seeking out the Holy Rings scattered throughout the galaxy and utilizing them, a Great Journey would begin. This Great Journey would transform believers into godlike beings, while providing salvation for their doomed existence of fighting with theFlood. The Sangheili then became the bodyguards of the physically less imposing Prophets, who would search the galaxy for the Halos.[6] The Writ of Union was drawn up in 852 B.C.E. in order to codify the Covenant. Its first canto clearly outlines the nature of the Covenant from the perspective of the Prophets. Being one of the few races in the Covenant to achieve space-faring status without outside intervention, the Sangheili interaction with the San 'Shyuum was initially strained due to memories of the recent war. However, the two sides later formed a prosperous relationship, eventually laying the foundation for the modern Covenant hegemony. During their membership in the Covenant, the Sangheili were technological and societal equals of the San 'Shyuum. However, for a significant period, they found themselves as the dominant military muscle for the entire Covenant structure - hardly surprising given the warlike, feudal nature of their homeworld, Sanghelios. What was surprising was the cyclical stability this feudal society was able to offer. Technological and medical advancement prospered, and the intelligent, aggressive Sangheili were peerless until they encountered the San 'Shyuum. With exchange of goods and ideas, the Sangheili adapted to and eventually embraced the Covenant religion, grafting its tenets into their own belief system. Human-Covenant WarEdit :Main article: Human-Covenant War When the Prophets declared war on a previously unknown species called "Humans", the Sangheili followed their lead without question. After a period of time, however, even though the Prophets insisted that the Humans were "unclean beings" that must be eliminated from the galaxy, many seasoned Sangheili veterans began to question the refusal of the Prophets to even consider accepting the Humans into the Covenant.[Notes 1][7] They seem to believe that Humans, although physically weak, at least compared to themselves, are brave and even honorable. Certainly, most Sangheili believe that Humans should be offered admittance to the Covenant. Some even believe that the Humans are equal to them - a considerable step for a Sangheili, or any member of the Covenant to make. The Sangheili admired how willing and brave the Humans were when fighting to survive against outright extinction, they even respected to a certain degree those few soldiers who were willing to stay behind and cover their comrades from a Covenant attack. A few Sangheili even had some degree of disrespect for the Prophets before the Great Schism. The Great SchismEdit http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/8/88/Rtas_%27Vadum.jpgShip Master Rtas 'Vadum on theShadow of Intent's bridge.:Main article: Great Schism During the final months of the Human-Covenant War, the political shift caused by both the Prophet of Truth and Tartarus, theChieftain of the Jiralhanae, started a slippery slope that ended in the dissolution of the Covenant between the Sangheili and the San 'Shyuum. Originally, the Jiralhanae were viewed as savagely aggressive and extremely goal-oriented, which the Sangheili viewed as a serious threat should the Brutes ever begin to desire political power. This fear became reality when the Honor Guards of the Prophets, originally an all-Sangheili class, was transformedinto a duty of the Brutes. This was directly caused by the death of the Prophet of Regret at the hands of John-117, the Human "Demon" known as the Master Chief, despite Regret's protection from his personal squad of Sangheili Honor Guardsman. Soon the Brutes found themselves in new positions of power, such as Field Masters, Ship Masters, and veritable replacements for the Sangheili. At the same time, during the Battle of Installation 05, Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and Rtas 'Vadumee (both of which soon dropped the 'ee' suffix from their name to signify their abandonment of the Covenant) discovered the truth of the Halo rings from the Monitor 343 Guilty Spark and the deceit of the San 'Shyuum. These events led the entire Sangheili species to secede from the Covenant, forming the Covenant Separatists. They were aided by a few of the member-races within the Covenant, such as many Unggoy and most Mgalekgolo, even though many apparently ended up siding with the Covenant Loyalists despite the Sangheili's efforts. The secession included a movement to destroy the treacherous Brutes and Prophets, and the destruction of the Floodat all costs, eventually resulting in the Sangheili's alliance with the Humans, persuaded by the Arbiter's counsel. It is known that this civil war stretched from the Human homeworld, Earth, all the way back to Sanghelios as the Sangheili attempted to wrest their share of the hegemony away from their new-found enemies. The Jiralhanae stepped in to fill the military void in ever increasing numbers, sensing the vacuum and opportunity left by the departure of the Sangheili. Fall of the Covenant EmpireEdit Finally, after the Battle of Earth, the Sangheili and Humans managed to stop and kill the Prophet of Truth, effectively dissolving the Covenant. However, the Sangheili and Humans were coerced to deal with a more massive threat; the Flood. Finally, the Arbiter and the Master Chief, after activating the newly constructedreplacement Halo ring, effectively ended the Flood threat forever. After the Human-Covenant War ended, there has been speculation of competition between the UNSC and the Sangheili, when it came to examining Forerunner ruins and relics like the Artifact.[8] However, by March 2553, the Sangheili and Humans remain friendly to one another as evidenced by the conversation between Thel 'Vadam andLord Terrence Hood. All the Sangheili who fought in the Battle of Installation 00 agreed to depart Earth and return to their home planet, Sanghelios, to ensure its safety. As the Great Schism went on, the Sangheili continued their fight against the Jiralhanae. This was proving largely unsuccessful and the Sangheili were accepting serious losses. Without the Covenant to provide them with ships, technology, and repairs, they slowly lost warships and technologies they couldn't repair or replace. After the San 'Shyuum went into hiding, the Sangheili began to prevail against the Jiralhanae, who in turn began to fight amongst themselves. Having abandoned the Covenant, the Sangheili were now in a state of mass confusion in regards to their religion, because even though the San 'Shyuum lied to them, they had still given them purpose for their actions. The Sangheili were still religiously devoted to the Forerunners and were attempting to uncover the meaning. DescriptionEdit Sangheili are generally about 2.59 meters tall including helmet and armor, have two fingers and two thumbs on each hand which are much larger than human fingers and thumbs, which make the Sangheili look ungainly when wielding small human weapons such as the pistol. They look vaguely like lizards or theropods, except for their jaws. When wearing armor, they take on a shark-like look because of the "fins" on the sides of their helmets. Their jaws are made up of four separate mandibles attached to their face, similair to those found in the lower jaw of snakes from Earth. The Sangheili are attributed for great strength and intelligence, and are praised for their bravery and honor. Sangheili warriors augment these natural abilities further through use of Energy Shieldsintegrated into their armor. Depending upon rank and mission objective, they are commonly seen in battle withPlasma Rifles, Needlers, Covenant Carbines, Needle Rifles and sometimes, if they are higher ranked, Energy Swords. Sangheili employ coffin-like Orbital Insertion Pods as well as Phantom and Spirit Dropships for military transit purposes and rapid-response operations. Historically, Sangheili have followed the Covenant mentality of maintaining hatred towards Humanity, believing them to be an affront to their religion and a challenge towards the Great Journey. However there are signs that this stance is being slowly abandoned as seen in the tentative alliance between the two enemies, forming the core allied faction at the end of Halo 2 and during Halo 3. In Halo: Combat Evolved, upper ranks have a Forerunner symbol adorning their back. It is not known if the symbol varies from rank to rank. In Halo 3, Sangheili have Forerunner symbols on their arms and on the sides of their torso. Anatomy and PhysiologyEdit http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/1/12/Elite.jpgA Sangheili Minor warrior with aType-51 Carbine.http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/7/75/RoaringSangheili.pngA close-up of a Sangheili jaws, which earned them the nickname "Split-lip". Sangheili are very muscular and stand around 8'6 feet tall. Their jaws are quadruple-hinged, with an upper jaw and four mandible-like lips. With few exceptions, these mandibles are generally shown with six teeth each; many sources also depict an additional large fang on the tips of each mandible.[9][10] Anywhere from eight to ten broader teeth have been observed mounted on the central jaw structure. In Halo Wars and Halo: Reach, the Sangheili are depicted with more numerous, more feral-looking teeth. In the Halo Legends short The Duel, the Sangheili Han, Fal 'Chavamee, and Roe, keep their mandibles closed, using only the front two joints of their lower mandibles to speak, giving them a more humanoid appearance. While it may not actually be canon to the Halo franchise, it is possible that the Sangheili don't usually use all four of their mandibles, except when breathing heavily; an example would be during combat situations, though this has yet to be confirmed. Sangheili smell with the use of two nostrils, each a little in front and below the eye socket. Given their predatory nature, a Sangheili's sense of smell is likely very developed. However it must be noted that as a distinct race they may have omnivourus tendencies. The mandibles appear to be made for gripping small prey, which insinuates that the Sangheili evolved from a quadroped race and that they are much larger than their natural prey. Their hands are tetradactyl, having four digits; two middle fingers, and two opposing thumbs on the outside for grasping. Their legs are digitigrade, with short upper and lower legs, and elongated tarsals, using the distal and intermediate phalanges to support their weight when walking. This arrangement possibly allows them to run very quickly and jump large distances, compared to ordinary humans and other Covenant races.[11] Their superior agility may also be attributed to their homeworld's higher gravity; the additional strength required to move normally in a high-gravity environment would likely cause them to be more powerful in lower gravity situations. They also appear to have a double set of pectoral muscles, which contribute to their incredible strength. Sangheili have at least two hearts [12], which circulate indigo-colored blood through their veins; the coloration is most likely caused by bimetallic hemoglobin, possibly cobalt-iron, whereas the crimson-blooded Humans possess monometallic iron-based hemoglobin. Though there are many theories on the subject, the chemical formula(e) of Sangheili hemoglobin is still unknown. It is assumed that they breathe oxygen, as they can breathe the same atmosphere as Humans without any trouble, and their homeworld has a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere, similar to Earth's. Male Sangheili have grayish-brown skin (which in Halo 2 looks spotted or scaly), and the majority of Sangheili have either dark blue, black, or brown eyes, although there are a few exceptions. It has been theorized that the reason Sangheili seem to have dark, blue eyes is because they wear eye coverings (which provide their in-gameHUD). This hypothesis comes largely from the Arbiter's appearance - when standing before the High Council in his armor, his eyes were dark, but after his armor was removed, his eyes became a much lighter brown -- and is also supported by the fact that in Halo: Combat Evolved, a Sangheili's eye color is always the same color as their armor. Sangheili have laterally-positioned eyes with slit-shaped pupils, large irises, and horizontal eyelids, though these traits can only be seen in Halo 3 - Sangheili in Halo 2 have all black eyes with no pupils except for the Arbiter, and in Halo: Combat Evolved they never blink. However,this is probably result of animation. In Halo: Contact Harvest, it is mentioned that the Sangheili are strange for bipedal species in that their knees do not bend backwards but forwards.[citation needed] This unusual hinging does not impair their mobility on ground but climbing, especially on standard ladders, is difficult for them. IntelligenceEdit http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/c/c2/FearlessLeader26001200.PNGA Covenant Sangheili Zealotfrom Halo 2 on Earth in the city ofOld Mombasa.:"Although Elites are naturally very intelligent, their culture's long dependence on a military-industrial schema has led to an emphasis on might over science. In some regards, the advent of the Covenant made this position easier-allowing the Elites to concentrate even more singularly on military endeavors, while Prophets took care of science and technology." :—343 Guilty Spark in the Bestiarum The Sangheili are extremely intelligent and can demonstrate this in battle. Sangheili are normally on the move when fighting perhaps more so than both their human and Brute counterparts, constantly running and ducking, strafing and dodging when firing at the enemy. It should be noted that not all Sangheili make use of cover because of their superior strength; these are the Sangheili who hold the ranks of either Zealot or Councilor. The Sangheili seem to employ complex strategy only if it either improves success in battle, or it allows them to inflict more casualties on their enemies. In ship-to-ship combat, despite having the advantage of long range weapons such as plasma torpedoes, the Sangheili prefer to maneuver in close in an attempt to board their opponent's vessel. These Sangheili charge their enemies with reckless aggression, regardless of any damage they sustain; only very seldom do they admit temporary defeat. They are quite capable of luring their enemies into traps by falling back into cover; as the enemy approaches, a Sangheili will spring from its position and land a massive melee hit on the unsuspecting opponent, and is especially even more dangerous if the hiding Sangheili is carrying an Energy Sword due to the weapon's lethal melee power. The Sangheili are excellent tacticians, renowned for their ferocity and decisive thinking. This is shown to be very true in space during ship-to-ship combat, even when horribly outnumbered; they can win the fight with only few losses. This shows them to have a greater degree of intelligence than Jiralhanae and humans alike. Although the Sangheili had much more advanced ships than the Humans did. An example of this is the Battle above Installation 00, when Truth's Fleet outnumbered Sangheili forces three-to-one, yet the Sangheili prevailed with the Assault Carrier Shadow of Intent and a few other ships as well. As much as Sangheili for the most part are very intelligent when it comes to combat tactics and battle plans, their code of honour does get in the way of it as they have shown a preference for close combat with their foes, and the majority of their weaponry is suited for short-ranged fighting. The Energy Sword, the most prized weapon of the Sangheili, is the strongest example of this. Swords are often carried and used as primary weapons on the battlefield by Sangheili, and although devastating in hand-to-hand combat, are useless at long range and make for highly visible targets. UNSC forces have taken advantage of this to decimate Covenant forces from outside their range while taking fewer casualties. The Sangheili practices of commanders leading from the front and distinguishing leaders through colored armor has resulted in a very high attrition rate for Sangheili commanders. In many battles, Zealots have been killed early in the fighting (such as Noga 'Putumee), leaving their forces leaderless and uncoordinated. UNSC snipers have been specifically trained to pick out and eliminate high-ranking Sangheili. The Sangheili tradition of promotion through feats of arms on the battlefield has sometimes placed individuals of questionable tactical and strategic skill, such as Ripa 'Moramee, into high-ranking positions, purely because of their ability to kill their enemies personally. However, it should be noted that this isn't common and certain Sangheili such as Thel 'Vadam and Rtas 'Vadum are brilliant tacticians. What the Sangheili consider to be dishonorable has also limited their flexibility in battle. Being wounded is considered a dishonor by the Sangheili, and it has been seen that most Sangheili go berserk upon having their blood spilled and charge straight at their enemies for revenge. Others, such as Jora 'Konaree, have chosen to kill themselves after being seriously wounded in battle. The preference of most Sangheili to die rather than live wounded has resulted in unnecessary casualties. Retreat is viewed as an even greater dishonor, and many Sangheili have doomed themselves to be killed rather than retreat. The UNSC and Jiralhanae has very frequently attempted to take advantage of the Sangheili concept of honor to lure them into traps. Examples of this includeBattle of Delta Halo where Tartarus decimated many Elites with his Fist of Rukt and the Elites just threw themselves at him, Operation: First Strike, Kurt's final actions in the Battle of Onyx, the Battle of Alpha Base, and Cole's Last Stand at Psi Serpentis. CultureEdit http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/b/b4/1212522341_600px-Brutesarbiter.jpgSangheili Honor Guardsmen on guard, atHigh Charity. The Sangheili consider most other species to be inferior to them, both culturally and in fighting skill. Although Sangheili are naturally very intelligent, their culture's long dependence on a military-industrial scheme has led to an emphasis on might over science. In some regards, the advent of the Covenant made this position easier-allowing the Sangheili to concentrate even more mono-manically on military endeavors, while Prophets took care of science and technology. Despite this, their adeptness at using and creating technology is evident. It is probable that they designed the Covenant Cruiser themselves. They demonstrated their superiority at space combat in the battle with the Brutes over Installation 00. Promotion in the Covenant military is by merit; a Covenant soldier must succeed to advance among the ranks. Success is often measured in scalps. A Zealot, for example, has personally slaughtered thousands of individuals to reach that status.[13] Raised from childhood to be warriors, other societal roles are treated as secondary endeavors or even hobbies, and are not honored at all. Elites are skilled in the usage of most Covenant weapons. One interesting example of this martial focus is that only aristocrats are allowed to wield swords and that sword-wielders are then no longer eligible for marriage; however, they may breed with any female they choose, married or otherwise, to ensure successful transmission of "swordsman" genes. In many ways, the Sangheili are much like humans. They communicate, are loyal to their superiors and comrades, become protective of their troops and become angry and vengeful if other Sangheili are killed. They fear very little, taking great pride in an ancient, honor-laden code. Even when mortally wounded, the Sangheili still charge towards the enemy in a doomed last minute attack. Sangheili honor also dictates that they always be the first ones into a battle, and to never allow themselves to be captured alive.[citation needed] The more honorable captured Sangheili typically commit suicide while in prison to retain some measure of honor; often times when they are freed those who have not are executed anyway, as was the case with one of Thel Vadam's ancestors. However, escaping or staging an uprising is acceptable, by the same example. [14] Respect and HonorEdit http://images.wikia.com/halo/images/c/c6/Energy_Blade.jpgA Sangheili defeating another in battle. The Sangheili display respect and admiration for honorable fighters, whether they are allies of the Sangheili or not. It is not unusual for the Sangheili to have such an admiration for their adversaries. Sangheili respect and revere veterans and often follow their lead. Their history is rife with victorious combatants welcoming the defeated enemies' remaining forces into their own arm, provided of course that they fought with honor. During the Unggoy Rebellion, the most tenacious of the Unggoy who survived the conflict were admitted for the first time into previously all-Sangheili forces, much to the Prophets' discontent.[15] It is likely that survivors of this group of Unggoy were among the Unggoy supporting the Sangheili during the Great Schism, out of respect, and dislike of the Covenant. The Sangheili code of honor appears quite similar to Japanese Bushido, sharing concepts such as skill in combat (with an emphasis on swordsmanship), loyalty to master and family/clan, and views on death. Both systems promote death in battle as being the most honorable and proper way to die. If a warrior is critically injured, incapacitated, or captured, the only acceptable recourse is to commit ritualistic suicide, ensuring one's honor is kept intact. This was of such importance to Sangheili warriors that even if they were incapable of killing themselves, they requested the assistance of their fellow Sangheili in doing so.[16] SuperstitionsEdit Despite their martial nature, the Sangheili have reservations to the spilling of one's own blood. This is an extension of the belief that the blood of a warrior is his essence (honor); thus, to spill one's blood is to lose one's honor.[17] As a result, in Sangheili culture, doctors are seen by many as the lowest members of society because they "..make their living slicing and causing another Sangheili to bleed without honor."[17] This meant that the only 'honorable' way for a Sangheili to be injured or bleed out is from combat with the enemy. This belief also makes visiting a doctor very shameful for some Sangheili. It is believed among the Sangheili that a weapon is only to be drawn if it is to be used, because a drawn weapon "demands blood."[18] GovernmentEdit Sangheili government appears to be a feudal[19] meritocracy[20], and is partially democratic, as elders of different clans rule different areas. The ruler of these areas, a Kaidon, is elected by a group of council elders that reside in that area. If a council elder believes that his vote was "ill advised" or "had second thoughts", it was considered a tradition for council elders to initiate some form of attack, such as sending assassins, against the Kaidon in order "...to test the true merit of the ruler's martial abilities."[20] The belief was that "a Kaidon who could not defend himself was not a true leader."[17] Should the attack fail, the responsible elder will be executed immediately, and his family will be killed. However, punishment for this form of heresy was usually flexible. As such, if the elder did something honorable, such as attack the Kaidon himself, or attempted to make a final stand against the Kaidon, then he would probably have managed to save his family from certain death, although they might still be banished. FamilyEdit Family history and lineage are greatly valued, with each family having their own unique "Battle Poem" detailing the deeds and actions of its members during times of war. These "epics" may have influenced the recitation of war poetry among the Mgalekgolo, due to their deep respect for Sangheili. It is theorized that Sangheili males are sent into service as warriors and soldiers, as no female Sangheili have been seen in combat roles. Whether sexual dimorphism exists in Sangheili or if there is a significant difference in gender roles is not known. Sangheili warriors form very close-knitted relationships, referring to their comrades as "brothers" and remaining intensely loyal to them. This loyalty is shown in the custom of grieving after the death of a fallen comrade, a ritual which includes prayer for the dead warrior. ChildrenEdit In some clans, Sangheili children are raised in "common rooms" to ensure that all start on an equal footing and progress in rank by merit of their abilities. Members of some Sangheili clans rarely know their true fathers, and are usually raised by a maternal uncle instead. This may be a method of preventing status from being inherited in order to force children to make their own way in the world so they actively work for and earn advancement. However, as some children's fathers were Swordsmen who were granted the right to reproduce with any number of female Sangheili they desire, the use of a maternal uncle as a father-like figure may have also been used to allow children to be raised equally. Sangheili believe that copulation without regard for the bloodline is uncultured. A popular pastime for Sangheili children is to hunt small rat-like creatures that live on their homeworld.[21] NamingEdit The Sangheili place great value in their names, and it is considered both a privilege and an honor for only those proved worthy. The Sangheili generally consider humans to be nameless (one notable exception being the Spartans encountered in the battlefield, whom they exclusively refer to as "Demons"), and resent that the humans have assigned the label "Elite" to them (although they have been given many other names far more derogatory, such as squid-head, split lip, split face, etc). The word "Elite" is often transposed as an English translation of their own name in-game and in other media. The surname of each individual comes from their lineage. Thel 'Vadam, for example, was from the Vadamlineage.[citation needed] Each lineage has its own state on Sanghelios, and each Sangheili from that state adopts the name of the lineage.[citation needed] Sangheili names are constructed from a series of parts, each of them with a specific or special meaning. The first name is a given name that is attained at birth, which persists until adulthood.[citation needed] As they come of age, they earn the right to carry a badge name. This name is made up of three parts: an adjectival descriptor, such as "fast" or "deadly," a crèche or family name, and the "-ee" suffix, an honorific indicating that the Sangheili is a military participant.[citation needed] Since the Great Schism, most Sangheili in the rebellious faction have removed their name of the '-ee' suffix.[22] Most Sangheili have names with this kind of construction.[23] It appears that additional titles may be given to those of very high rank, such as Xytan 'Jar Wattinree. Since "Jar" is not a part of the standard Sangheili name, it may be assumed that it denotes Xytan's status as Imperial Admiral, although this has yet to be confirmed. There is only one other known instance of this naming strucure: Voro 'Mantakree, who was given the additional title "Nar" to denote his status as a Fleet Master. Apart from the "-ee" suffix, the suffix "-ai" denotes swordsmanship, as with Bero 'Kusovai and Toha 'Sumai.[24] Category:Covenant Category:Species